The New England Patriots will catch another break on the injury front when they meet an AFC East rival on Sunday.
The New York Jets have ruled out running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell for their Week 6 matchup against New England, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday.
Hall is dealing with a quadriceps injury, while Mitchell stats sidelined with a finger injury. Both players failed to practice Wednesday and Thursday before being officially ruled out.
The absences take two explosive options away from a Jets offense that ranks near the bottom of the NFL. New York averages 284 yards per game, 26th in the league, and 18.6 points per contest. New England, meanwhile, owns the NFL’s fifth-ranked total defense at 296.2 yards allowed per game.
Hall Absence Changes Jets’ Backfield
Hall will miss his third consecutive game after suffering the quad injury against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 27.
The 25-year-old opened the season as New York’s lead back, carrying 51 times for 163 yards and a touchdown through three appearances. He also caught 10 passes for 102 yards, giving quarterback Geno Smith receiving help out of the backfield.
His absence doesn’t mean the Patriots can overlook the Jets’ running game.
Braelon Allen has taken advantage of the increased workload. The former Wisconsin standout rushed 24 times for 116 yards and a touchdown in New York’s 17-12 win over the Cleveland Browns last week. He has totaled 175 rushing yards on 38 carries over his two starts since Hall went down.
That sets up an eye-catching matchup against one of New England’s strongest units. The Patriots are allowing only 90.8 rushing yards per game, sixth-best in the NFL.
New England will presumably see Allen a lot, but removing Hall’s speed and receiving ability makes the Jets’ backfield much less versatile.
Patriots Also Avoid Mitchell’s Big-Play Ability
Mitchell’s absence removes a potential headache for the Patriots’ defense as well.
The third-year receiver underwent a procedure on his injured hand due to initially getting hurt in practice ahead of Week 3. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Wednesday that Mitchell remained week-to-week.
“He did have a small procedure on his hand, but the good thing is man he’s moving his fingers around really, really well,” Glenn said, per the Jets’ official website.
Mitchell had begun the season efficiently. He caught nine of his 15 targets for 123 yards over New York’s first two games, including three receptions for 60 yards in the opener and six catches for 63 yards against the Green Bay Packers.
Garrett Wilson will receive all the attention of the passing attack without Mitchell. Wilson has notched 31 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns, while Isaiah Williams ranked second on the Jets with 151 receiving yards.
New England has its own lengthy injury report, including cornerback Carlton Davis III missing the first two practices of the week with a neck injury. There was good news elsewhere, though, as Christian Gonzalez progressed from limited Wednesday to a full participant Thursday.
The Patriots have won three straight games against the Jets and are 21-5 against them at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots Get Double Injury Boost as Jets Rule Out 2 Weapons